143 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
143 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
# VSCode / Claude Code SSH Fix Guide
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## The Problem
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Claude Code runs inside VSCode's integrated terminal, which uses Git Bash on Windows.
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Git Bash ships its own SSH binary at:
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```
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C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\ssh.exe
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```
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This binary resolves **before** Windows' native OpenSSH in the PATH:
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```
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$ which ssh
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/usr/bin/ssh ← Git Bash SSH (BROKEN for our use)
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$ where ssh
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C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\ssh.exe ← resolves first
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C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\ssh.exe ← Windows native (WORKS)
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```
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Git Bash's SSH does **not** have access to the Windows SSH Agent (`ssh-agent` service).
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This means SSH key authentication fails silently — commands return exit code 0 or 141
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with no output captured, making it extremely confusing to debug.
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Windows' native OpenSSH (`C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\ssh.exe`) connects to the
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Windows SSH Agent service and has access to your stored keys.
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## Fix 1: VSCode Settings (Recommended — Permanent)
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Open VSCode Settings JSON (`Ctrl+Shift+P` → "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)")
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and add `GIT_SSH` to the terminal environment:
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```json
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{
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"terminal.integrated.env.windows": {
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"GIT_SSH": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\OpenSSH\\ssh.exe"
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}
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}
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```
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This tells Git (and any tool that respects `GIT_SSH`) to use Windows' native OpenSSH.
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However, this only fixes `git` operations — direct `ssh` calls in the terminal still
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resolve to Git Bash's binary. To fix that too, prepend Windows OpenSSH to the PATH:
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```json
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{
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"terminal.integrated.env.windows": {
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"GIT_SSH": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\OpenSSH\\ssh.exe",
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"PATH": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\OpenSSH;${env:PATH}"
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}
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}
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```
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After changing this setting:
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1. **Close all terminals** in VSCode (kill them, don't just hide)
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2. **Reload the window** (`Ctrl+Shift+P` → "Developer: Reload Window")
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3. Open a new terminal and verify:
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```
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which ssh
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```
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Should now show `/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh` (or similar Windows path).
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## Fix 2: Per-Session Variable (Workaround)
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If you don't want to change VSCode settings, set this at the start of every
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Claude Code session (or tell Claude to do it):
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```bash
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SSH=/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh.exe
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```
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Then use `$SSH` instead of `ssh` in all commands:
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```bash
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$SSH kisfenyo@192.168.0.162 "docker ps"
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```
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This is what CLAUDE.md now documents for the build/deploy workflow.
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## Fix 3: Shell Profile (Alternative Permanent Fix)
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Add to your `~/.bashrc` or `~/.bash_profile` (Git Bash profile):
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```bash
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# Prefer Windows native OpenSSH over Git Bash's bundled SSH
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alias ssh='/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh.exe'
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alias ssh-add='/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh-add.exe'
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alias scp='/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/scp.exe'
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```
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This works for interactive shells but may not apply to all VSCode terminal contexts.
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## Verifying the Fix
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After applying any fix, test with:
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```bash
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# Check which binary resolves
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which ssh
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# Test actual connectivity
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ssh kisfenyo@192.168.0.162 "echo OK"
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```
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Expected output for a working setup:
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```
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OK
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```
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If you see no output, empty response, or exit code 141/255, the wrong SSH binary
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is still being used.
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## Why This Happens
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- Windows SSH Agent (`ssh-agent` Windows service) stores SSH keys added via
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`ssh-add` from PowerShell/CMD
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- Git Bash's SSH uses its own agent protocol (Unix socket) which is separate from
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the Windows service
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- When VSCode spawns a Git Bash terminal, the PATH has Git's `/usr/bin` before
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`C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH`, so Git's SSH wins
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- The Git Bash SSH binary can't talk to the Windows SSH Agent, so key-based auth
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fails — but it fails silently (no error message, broken pipe on stdout)
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## Windows SSH Agent Setup (if keys aren't loaded)
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If SSH still fails after fixing the binary path, ensure the Windows SSH Agent
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has your keys:
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1. Open **Services** (`Win+R` → `services.msc`)
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2. Find **OpenSSH Authentication Agent** → set to **Automatic** → **Start**
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3. In PowerShell (not Git Bash):
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```powershell
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ssh-add C:\Users\User\.ssh\id_ed25519
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```
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4. Verify:
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```powershell
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ssh-add -l
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```
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Should list your key fingerprint.
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